@ Work: Alameda West Portal

After months of working primarily above ground, construction workers are set to grind into the first inches of rock that make up the 3.5 mile New Irvington Tunnel. Here are some photos of crews @ Work on the eve of the first day of tunneling:

The AQM 150-HR Roadheader moves into position at the Alameda West Portal

Portal spiles are drilled to provide support for tunnel excavation.

Getting ready to knock on the door of the New Irvington Tunnel.

Video: What's Up with WSIP?

Watch this short video and learn the latest about the SFPUC’s Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) to rebuild and seismically upgrade the Hetch Hetchy Water System.

AS4 Project Wins Prestigious Award

Recently, one of the most critical projects in the SFPUC’s Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) received a special honor. The Alameda Siphon No. 4 (AS4) project, which includes the construction of a new siphon to help ensure water delivery to customers after a major earthquake, won the “2010 Pipeline of the Year” award from the Steel Plate Fabricators Association. The Steel Plate Fabricators Association is a major trade association of manufacturers that fabricates steel construction products. Ameron International was the pipe fabricator on the contractor’s team led by Steve P. Rados, Inc.

“With this award, the entire AS4 team is being recognized nationally for this project, which has included overcoming challenges to ensure its success. This award is appropriate as the work on this project has explored the limits of complicated pipeline construction”, explained Harvey Elwin, the SFPUC Deputy Director for Construction for the WSIP.

The Alameda Siphon No. 4 project was also one of the regional WSIP projects recognized in November 2010 for achieving over 1 million safe working hours without major injuries since April 2009. All construction work for the Alameda Siphon No. 4 project is expected to be completed by the end of 2011.

The project included a pipe manifold which involved a series of compound angles and complex field welding.

Packing a Punch: The AQM 150-HR Roadheader

How do you punch through 3.5 miles of dirt and rock? You start with an AQM 150-HR Roadheader which arrived on President’s Day after a weeklong trip from Maryland. A roadheader is a tracked piece of tunneling equipment used in conventional mining. In front is a boom-mounted cutting head that hacks away at rock face. The spoils generated are collected on a conveyor belt and loaded onto rail cars for transport outside of the tunnel.

This roadheader will start its journey at the Alameda West Portal (AWP) which is one of the primary tunneling sites for the New Irvington Tunnel. From there, the roadheader will tunnel west towards the Vargas Shaft and meet with a sister roadheader headed in the opposite direction. The roadheader rendezvous is expected to take place sometime in 2013.

The roadheader is more than 26 feet long, 7 feet wide and weighs 36 tons. The boom-mounted cutting head is capable of excavating the 13-foot horseshoe shaped dimensions of the tunnel. This roadheader also has a probe attachment used to drill a 2-inch hole 150 feet ahead of the rock to investigate ground conditions and groundwater inflow.

Look for continued images and updates of our progress at New Irvington Tunnel.

Digging Deep: The Vargas Shaft

What is 120-feet deep, 41-feet in diameter and supported by 76 concrete secant piles? If you have been following us for awhile you know this is none other than the Vargas Shaft! For those that are new or just need a refresher here is a run down:

The Vargas Shaft is one of the three locations where tunneling will take place for the New Irvington Tunnel. The shaft is located immediately east of I-680 off of the Vargas Road exit. A road header will be lowered into the shaft where it will tunnel west towards the Irvington Portal. As soon as this tunnel section is complete, the road header will reverse direction and tunnel eastward from Vargas towards Alameda West Portal where it will meet another road header coming from the Alameda West Portal. The tunnel rendezvous is scheduled to take place sometime in 2013.

Excavation of the shaft began in late January and is scheduled for completion by early March. The road header will be most of the way to the Irvington Portal by year's end.

Here's a progress photo of the Vargas Shaft. A yellow railing has been installed for safety. In the background, you can see the steel I-beams that are used for sound barriers.
















We will post more pictures as the project moves forward. Feel free to send any photos or videos you have of the project to fzamora@sfwater.org.

Water Line Damaged at Irvington Portal

At approximately 10:00 AM, a drill crew installing inclinometers struck and damaged a 24" water line at the Irvington Portal. San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and contractor personnel responded immediately and were able to stop the flow of water and contain it within the SFPUC's property.

The damaged water line serves the City of Hayward. The SFPUC immediately notified the City of Hayward so that the City can set up secondary pumps and storage measures. No service disruptions are anticipated as a result of the damage.

SFPUC and contractor personnel are currently working to repair the water line. Upon completion the water line will be disinfected and inspected prior to returning to service.

AS4 Contractor Reaches Safety Milestone!

As of November 2010, the regional projects for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) achieved over 1 million safe working hours without major injuries since April 2009. The Alameda Siphon No. 4 project was one of the projects recognized as part of this achievement.

This significant milestone required a total commitment to safety by all participants including contractors, subcontractors, construction managers, consultants and SFPUC staff. The SFPUC salutes Steve P. Rados for active engagement, support and participation in the WSIP Safety Approach.


Recently, the project team presented representatives from Steve P. Rados with a certificate to recognize one million safe working hours. The project team members from left to right: Steve Nash, Regional Safety Manager, AECOM; Larry Olson, SFPUC Lead QA Inspector, (face in shadow); Eric Gee, SFPUC Project Construction Manager; John Barsky, CH2M Hill Regional Construction Manager; Tony Ferencik, S.P. Rados Project Manager; Ben Wright, CH2M Hill Field Contracts Administrator; Sarah Blain, SFPUC QA Inspector; Jim Peletier, S.P.Rados Project Sponsor; Ed Bulaong, S.P. Rados Office Engineer; Zac Arneson, S.P. Rados Office Engineer.